Bohol COVID recovery rate:

84% per total positive cases

CORTES, Bohol, Sept 18 (PIA) -- For every 100 Boholanos who turn out to be coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-positive, about 84 of them can recover, data from the Bohol Inter Agency task Force for the management of Emerging Infectious Disease show.

Data from September 5 until September 18, as shown in the BIATF daily COVID tracker bares that the COVID recovery rate for Sept 5 registered ate 83.32 for every 100 while for Sept 18, the figure stayed at 84.28 for every 100.

And while the recovery rate could be a welcome relief as Bohol struggles to wrestle the virus that has since killed 389 locals between May 2020 and September 19, 2021, Bohol has seen a chilling 84 deaths in the last two weeks.

Despite a 2.3 % of those who has been infected with the virus ending in death for the whole duration from May 2020 to September 2021, a closer look at the most recent data would reveal a far more alarm-raising scenario.

In the last two weeks for example, from 305 registered deaths in Sept 5, the figure blew to 389 death cases in Sept 18, with some 84 deaths happening within the last 14 days.

This then elevates the death average in the last two weeks to 6 deaths recorded per day all over Bohol.

Aggravating the picture, is the continued number of daily active COVID cases in the last two weeks.

According to a consolidated tally-board tracking the COVID situation in Bohol as per BIATF daily COVID tracker, since September 5, there were only two days when the number of active cases registered went below the 2,000 per day mark.

Last September 7, the active COVID cases went down to 1,951 while last Sept 9, the figure also registered only 1,984 active cases for that day.

From September 10 to the present, active COVID cases in Bohol went on to a rampage of over 2,000 cases per day.

The record would also show that since September 5, new cases per day has not gone down past double digits.

The daily tally of new COVID cases in fact peaked last Sept 13 when the BIATF reported some 307 new cases. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

COVID fills Gallares ICU, isolation

beds, loosens other hospital beds

CORTES, Bohol Sept 18 (PIA) – Coronavirus disease (COVID) Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds in Bohol’s tertiary hospitals, as well as COVID Isolation beds have been fully occupied, while those in the primary hospitals in Bohol show promising availability of beds, as Bohol’s hospitals are on critical alert for the surge of patients needing COVID treatment and care.

In Bohol’s only tertiary hospital: at the Gov Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital, last September 19, all 36 beds allocated for COVID ICU are occupied, and so are all of the 17 COVID isolation rooms.

At the leading COVID dedicated government hospital here in Tagbilaran City, there were at least 7 rooms or 25% of the 28 rooms in the hospital. There were also 15 non COVID ICU vacant of the full 29 allocated, and 5 non ICU rooms for non-COVID patients.

As to ventilator usage, the hospital still, has 4 of its 15 mechanical ventilators on standby while another 5 non mechanical ventilators of the 17 allocated, can also be used.

A loosening up of slots in the COVID ICU, COVID Isolation, Non COVID ICU, non-ICU for non-COVID and non-ICU beds for non COVID is also seen in the city’s leading secondary hospitals.

What used to be at critical risk, 5 COVID-ICUs are now vacated of the 13 available in the city’s private hospitals. Another 7 of the 77 allocated rooms for COVID Isolation are freed.

These hospitals have also 64.28% usage if their non-COVID ICU, 54 of 158 rooms available rooms for non ICU for non COVID patients and 12 of 15 rooms open for non-ICU for non COVID patients.

The same scenario is seen in Bohol’s primary hospitals, except for COVID ICU which is at critical 75% occupancy rate.

Ten days after the effectivity of an order that is expected to expand local government unit (LGU) managed quarantine and isolation facilities to cater to mild cases of coronavirus disease to decongest hospitals, the situation may have improved a bit.

In the data available at the Emergency Operations Center dashboard of the Bohol Inter-Agency Task Force on the management of Emerging Infectious Disease, at least occupancy in the COVID wards, non-COVID Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Non-ICU for non-COVID beds, non ICU COVID beds and non COVID ICU beds showed a little promise compared to the situation a week ago .

Governor Arthur Yap issued Executive Order No 45, series of 2021 which, apart from setting up restrictions while Bohol is placed under General Community Quarantine, it also mandated LGUs to maintain and expand their Quarantine and Isolation facilities.

Such is because, by way of an order, mild COVID cases not needing admission are to be treated and managed at the LGU Quarantine and Isolation Facilities.

The rational behind is to decongest and reserve hospital beds for severe, moderate and critical COVID patients.

Moreover, LGUS have been mandated to prepare step-down facilities for patients meeting discharge criteria, as these will be act as the halfway house for recovering COVID patients, so their hospital beds can be available for the next COVID patient needing proper hospital care and attention.

Another mandate, Executive Order No 44 has dismantled the mandatory five-days quarantine for incoming travelers, be they Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APORS) or returning residents, and even tourists on leisure travel.

Man see this as a burden lifted off the LGUs shoulders, as they have to operate and manage the isolation and quarantine of people who earlier tested negative for COVID via the gold standard measure via Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction.

The same EO No 44 also said those who are in the process of quarantine as earlier required, are free to break their quarantine.

Those in quarantine due to the previous orders and are having symptoms however are to remain in quarantine until they can manifest a negative for COVID in a test via RT-PCR.

The two executive orders took effect September 8.

As this happened, by September 9 or a day later, BIATF EOC posted 645 Boholanos on home quarantine, 725 on LGU Isolation and Quarantine Facility and 234 are on hospital confinement.

By September 11, those on home quarantine increased to 667, those on LGU Isolation and Quarantine Facility further increased to 765 and those on hospital confinement were at 263.

A week after September 11, those in Home quarantine blossomed to 838, on home quarantine rose to 778 while those on hospital confinement reached 282.

That same day, September 18, there were 75% room occupancy for COVID ICU in primary hospitals, 35.6% occupancy for COVID wards, 45.65 % occupancy for COVID isolation, 43.47 for Non COVID-ICU beds, 57.00% occupancy for non-COVID ICU, 15.64% Non-COVID beds for non COVOD patients.

That same day, mechanical ventilator usage for Bohol’s primary hospitals was ay 25% while non mechanical ventilator usage was at 53.84%.

For secondary hospitals mostly in Tagbilaran, the COVID ICU occupancy was at 38.46%, Non COVID ICU is at 64.28%, COVID Isolation at 7.59%, Non-COVID ICU at 64.24, non-ICU for Non-COVID beds at 34.17% and Non-COVID ICU beds for non-COVID at 86.72.

Use of mechanical ventilator for these institutions reached 25% while the non-mechanical ventilator was at 85.71% 91 usage.

For Bohol’s tertiary hospitals, COVID ICU usage has been on critical risk at 100%, COVID ward beds at 25% occupancy while its COVID isolation is full.

Non-COVID ICU for tertiary hospitals is at 51.72% occupancy, non-ICU for non-COVID beds are at 40% occupancy while non-ICU beds for non-COVID patients is at 39.41%.

Utilization of mechanical ventilators in these high level hospitals is at 25% and non-mechanical ventilators is at 53.84 %. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

ONLY 21 WARD BEDS VACANT. GCGMH now has to content itself with a critical 21 ward beds available as surge of patients continue. The hospital however has nonCOVID ICU that it can convert to additional COVID beds. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

Nuestra Sra de la Luz church

rises again from the rubbles

Seven years and nearly 11 months after becoming a disheartening pile of rubble, the centuries old stone church of the Nuestra Señora de la Luz (Our Lady of Light) Parish in Loon is now officially turned over to the local church authorities.

The turn-over, set to happen during the vespers of the birth of Mary, here enthroned and revered as the Lady of Light, had the whole church complex cleared, organizers all too wary of the prohibition on gathering, in the peak of the pandemic.

The church plaza was cordoned off keeping spectators and eager parishioners peeking from the fences at the few parishioners, chapel presidents and church officials milling about, some taking pictures of the baroque architecture of graceful curves in the gleaming white carved stone edifice that seems to surge up helped by its twin bell towers, to reclaim her throne.

The ambitious multi-million restoration to bring back the grandeur of Bohol’s largest and most beautifully designed church in the region has pooled local stakeholders to meticulously go over the processes.

“We have to make sure that this is meticulously preserved to keep the church structural integrity as well as ascertain that the project remains true to the heritage church’s declarations as national treasure and landmark while contractors diligently pile the stones one after another,” shares a member of the local Technical Working Group who has to attend the turn-over rites in formal Filipino attire.

No less than National Museum (NM) Director Jeremy Barns and National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Director and lawyer Rene Escalante handed the turn-over documents in the form of a Memorandum of Agreement between the national government and the Diocese of Tagbilaran, for the restored church’s upkeep and proper use.

Upon seeing the ruins, I saw it was an immense challenge, but then the Diocese entrusted to use the church, they trust us and we did the best we can do, Director Barns shared.

Even the NHCP, through Director Escalante, who has to admit that the restored Church is one of the most beautiful restored churches in the country, added that the partnership and cooperation between the private and public sector could be a among the best practices in the country he has seen.

Diocese of Tagbilaran Bishop Albert Uy signed the MOA as Our Lady of Light Parish curator Reverend Fr. Desiderio Magdoza, Loon Mayor Elvi Peter Relampagos, visiting priests and local stakeholders witnessed the ceremony held at the alternative church which acted as the venue for church events and activities while the reconstruction was still on.

“This is very timely,” says Bishop Uy, who pointed out that the auspicious date falls on the day before the parish celebrates the feast day of Mary, the lady of the Light.

In fact, the 1855 church and its complex which included the convent with masonry-plastered wood walls, the 1780 fortifications, the 198 cut-stone Inang-angan, and the mortuary chapel and old circular cemetery were declared by the then NM as National Cultural Treasure on December 6, 2010.

While the parish was established by the Jesuit mission in June 22, 1753, the Augustinian Recollects who took over the administration of the parish in October 21 1768, did a whole lot of changes including moving the church to a better location, according to the NM, which keeps a detailed history of the church.

This second church was built in 1815, but this was destroyed by fire. The third church, which crumbled in the 2013 earthquake was erected in 1853.

This was also that time when the Inang-angan, an integral part of the La Luz church complex was built, records at the NM showed.

As to historical records, in 1855, the parish priest and Spanish Augustinian Recollect José García de la Virgen de los Remedios built the coral stone church, based on the plan provided by Domingo de Escondrillas, Director of Public Works in Cebu.

The rest, until 2013, is, like we said, history.

Now, the church which used to feature two sloping transept buttresses, baroque facade flanked by twin towers, a narthex separated from the nave by concave pilasters, ceiling paintings, neoclassical altars, and even the tiles which may not survive the tremor, is now back with the feeling that almost nothing has changed since the earthquake completely reduced the structure to rubble.

With a very rich and outstanding social and spiritual significance to the community of faith, evidenced in the community’s strong affection for the church that figured in their life and history and that of the country, the NHCP declared the church as a National Historical Landmark in 2010.

Bishop Uy and NHCP Director Escalante also led the unveiling rites of the NHL marker now at the reconstructed church façade.

A rededication mass with no less than Bishop Uy officiating the rites, marked the beginning of the history of the fourth church, shining her light from atop a hill in Moto Sur and Norte in Loon. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

SHINING LIGHT FROM THE HILLTOP. The restored Nuestra Sra de la Luz (Our lady of Light) church in Loon is a gleaming white edifice seen from the sea. The beacon light for fishermen lost at sea, the restored church unbelievably stood about 8 years after an earthquake reduced it to an ugly pile of stones and mangled tin sheets. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

OFFICIALLY RETURNED. After the National Museum got entrusted of the wrecked church of la Luz, NM Director Jeremy Barns, NHCP Director Rene Escalante and Bishop Albert Uy hold the turn-over documents after the ceremonial signing September 7, to officially return the restored church to the people. Local officials witnessed the event. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

NM BARNS.

CATHEDRALESQUE. The la Luz church in Loon gleams anew after the National Museum restored the church which lay flat on the ground when the 2013 earthquake hit Bohol. Now restored to its present grandeur, the church officially reopened Sept 7, a day before the feast day of the patroness. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

NATIONAL HISTORICAL LANDMARK. NHCP Director Atty Rene Escalante and Bishop Albert uy unveils the curtains which showed the NHL marker now in the façade of the church of La Luz. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

3 Bohol ‘CSC HAP’ regional

awardees off to nat’l semis

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Sept 17 (PIA) – Three Bohol nominees to the Regional 2021 Search for Outstanding Government Workers in Central Visayas passed through the rigorous screening and would bring Bohol’s pride to the national semi-finals and possibly the Presidential Citation in this year’s Civil Service Anniversary.

PD Alice May S. Parcon

Of the 15 nominees which reached the regional screening, three have been shortlisted, said Civil Service Commission (CSC) Bohol Provincial Director Alice May Parcon, during the recent Kapihan sa PIA to commemorate the country’s 121st CS Anniversary.

The annual search forms part of CSC’s Honor Awards Program (HAP), the highest and most coveted recognition given by the government to individuals or group who have excelled or shown utmost dedication and commitment to public service.

The three award categories under the Search are the Presidential Lingkod Bayan, Outstanding Public Officials and Employees or the Dangal ng Bayan, and the CSC Pagasa.

This year, Bohol nominated to the regional Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award, which can be conferred to an individual or a group, is a group from Bohol Island State University (BISU) in Candijay Campus.

The group, called Tagabaryo of BISU Candijay is nominated for their exceptional and extraordinary contribution their group has rendered in a service which has national impact.

On the other hand, for Dangal ng Bayan or the Outstanding Public Officials and Employees Award, Mayor Dave Duallo of Buenavista town is a regional nominee who has barded into the national semi-finals.

Mayor Duallo served as an inspiration to co-workers in the government by diligently performing his tasks in public service which is consistent with the 8 norms of conduct for civil servants under Republic Act 6713.

The Buenavista town mayor observed commitment to public interest, professionalism, justice and sincerity, political neutrality, is responsive to the public, displays rare nationalism and patriotism, commitment to democracy and austere living, explains CSC PD Parcon. .

Dangal ng Bayan can be conferred regardless of education and position, as long as the nominee performs in strict adherence to the norms of conduct which positively influences others to display ethics in the discharge of official duties.

On the other hand, a CSC Pag-Asa Award nominee from Tagbilaran City has sifted through the regional screening committee into the national semi-finals, PD Parcon continued.

The CSC Pag-asa regional award which can be conferred to an individual or group for exceptional or extraordinary contributions that may have nationwide impact, is given to Tagbilaran City Health Office comprised of the team led by Dr Jeia Pondoc and health office employees.

The CSC Pagasa Award is given to individuals or group of individuals for outstanding contributions that directly benefit more than one department of the government. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

Before voters’ registration ends…

COMELEC notes 100,000

New, reactivated voters

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Sept 17 (PIA) – While the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in Bohol has noticed an unusual turn-out in their voters’ registration this year, something the local authorities ascribe to the effects of the quarantine.

According to Bohol election Supervisor Atty. Eliseo Labaria, in the last elections, there were 898,682 registered voters.

However, even when the COMELEC has delisted about 80,000 voters for some reasons like failure to vote in the last two elections and death and transfer of address, or no record, as of last the hearing for inclusion of registered voters in the new list, so much more have been added.

“We have tracked almost 100,000 new registered or reactivated voters added to the list since we reopened the registration,” Atty Labaria shared at the Kapihan sa PIA, last September 2, 2021.

The 100,000 added to the list are new voters from the Sangguniang Kabataan or the youth sector, and those who have reactivated.

We see the quarantine as a contributing factor, says Atty Labaria.

“Those who went home due to the pandemic, unfortunately could not go back to their places of origin where they have been previously registered as voters, so they have opted to transfer,” the lawyer election supervisor explained.

The figure, in fact is still growing with registrations ongoing every office hours from Monday to Saturday including holidays.

With the filing of Certificates of Candidacy looming, Bohol Election Supervisor Atty. Eliseo Labaria issues the final call for persons eligible to vote and be heard to register, while the office is still open until the last day of September.

Speaking at the Kapihan sa PIA September 2, Atty Labaria added that they have continued with the registration after the declaration of general quarantine have disrupted the COMELEC activity.

The COMELEC is mandated to keep the list of voters in the country clean as a foundation of credible elections by a system of checks and crosschecks, he said.

Now, we have the Automated Facial recognition Identification System (AFIS) which can immediately notify us of any double or multiple registration by a single name, so it is easier to trim down the list, he added.

After the registration this month, the COMELEC would convene its Election Registration Board for the eventual hearing before the final list of voters come out for publication.

During the hearing, the COMELEC also receives protests and hears them out, weighing on the merit and available documents.

He said that for every registration application, the COMELEC would act on the presumption of regularity of the registration, until there is a protest or any information contradicting the claim of the registrant.

And from there, the Comelec can sue the registrant for perjury if found to have falsified the public record just to be registered. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

DON’T BE A BUZZER BEATER. Bohol COMELEC Supervisor Atty Eliseo Labaria reminds Boholanos to register early and not wait for the deadline on September 30. The past election registration deadlines aslo saw the same cramming of people in the registration offices, which can not be allowed with the pandemic. (PIABohol)

Still in mid-September

Bohol tallies 96 COVID

deaths in last 16 days

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Sept 16 (PIA) – In the last 16 days, Bohol tallied 96 deaths due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a gloomy figure that would show a shocking 6 persons who die daily.

From the records shared by the Bohol Inter Agency Task Force (BIATF) for the management of Emerging Infectious Disease, it showed that from September 1 up to September 16, 2021, Bohol’s recorded 96 COVID deaths peaked with 12 deaths recorded in September 7 and September 14.

That same 16 days, it was in September 13 that Bohol tallied the highest new cases for the period at 307, and the lowest case of new cases reported was in September 10 with 97 new cases.

And as of September 13, Bohol Vaccination Operations Center based at the Provincial Health Office also recorded 153,630 who have been fully vaccinated with the two doses of Sinovac, Sinopharm, Moderna, Pfizer, Sputnik and Astrazeneca or a single dose of Johnson and Johnsons.

Some more 163,016 Boholanos have been given their first jabs, but with 447,922 doses of the vaccines received here and a total of 316,646 already dispensed as first and second doses to prioritized residents, Bohol now has only 131,276 to be used for the next weeks of vaccination rollout.

With 163,016 soon to get their second doses in a month’s time, Bohol would still need 31,000 doses just to complete the protection of those who were given their first shots.

The target is to get to the 70 percent of the total population of Bohol to beat the fatal viral disease that has since claimed 376 lives, according to Dr. Cesar Tomas Lopez, spokesperson of the BIATF.

At 1,394,329 total population of Bohol, vaccination teams would need to get to 976,000 Boholanos to be attaining what epidemiologists claim as herd immunity when people would have attained full protection from the disease.

And if getting to 70% of the general population is way too much for Bohol to target now, a 50 percent of the entire population goal would be easier.

According to Dr. Lopez, a place where 50% of its population has been given total protection through vaccination will experience a reduction of cases from a flattened curve of cases when 30% of the place’s population is inoculated.

At 50% of population vaccinated, Bohol would need to get to 697,000 individuals, or about 200,000 more should Bohol get additional vaccines in the next few weeks if only to give the second doses to those in their first shots.

At 30% of its population inoculated, that should cause the curve to flatten, meaning there would be lesser to no more increase in cases, fewer new cases and deaths and many would recover fast.

30% of Bohol’s total population as per the latest census is some 418,270 individuals.

When Bohol’s 447,000 doses could be dispensed to Boholanos, in a month’s time, the province should have attained at least 30% vaccination coverage. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

PRAY AND YET PROTECT ONESELF. In this time of the pandemic, many people would still refuse to get the vaccines, saying they would rather have faith in God than believe in the vaccines. Above all conspiracy theories, not one of those who spin such would be there to help when COVID hits the unprotected. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

PROTECTED. Even the bishop of Tagbilaran, Bishop Albert Uy still wears a mask despite the fact that he could be among the most prayerful of Catholics. Faith, and practice is still the key in time of the pandemic. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

Bohol gets pocket lab in new

DA veterinary PCR machine

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Sept 13 (PIA) – Bohol’s efforts to prevent the entry and spread of viral and bacterial diseases that can potentially affect the multi-billion livestock industry here gets a boost as the Department of Agriculture handed to Bohol a pocket laboratory than can be a game-changer in veterinary diagnostics.

veterinary authorities celebrate a milestone in their public service in Bohol with the recent acquisition of a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to help in veterinary diagnostics.

Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz bared this, citing the latest development is a big help in viral disease detection, especially with the African Swine Fever (ASF) wiping out large hog population in 50 of 81 provinces since it entered the Philippines in August or 2019.

Since the start, very critical samples from animals and livestock need to be sent to the Bureau of Animal Industry in Metro Manila for laboratory diagnostic. But in cases of ASF, that critical time element needed to confirm the presence of the pathogen makes or breaks the loss of millions of farm animals, says Dr. Lapiz at the Kapihan sa PIA.

The PCR, according to Dr. Lapiz, is a pocket laboratory that is commonly used in diagnosis of viral diseases in livestock and companion animals.

Coming to the radio forum to update Boholanos about the ASF and the local measures to control the entry of the viral disease fatal only to pigs, Dr. Lapiz and BAI Quarantine Officer Dr. Maria Eleonor Abisado explain how important the pocket laboratory is, to Bohol and its multi-billion hog industry.

Even if AFS has not entered the province, we can still use the pocket laboratory to strengthen our biosecurity measures, Dr. Lapiz shared.

For example, this month, veterinary authorities would start to get samples of feeds coming in to Bohol from areas infected by the viral disease.

An Executive Order on protecting the island from the entry of ASF has gone to the extent of banning feeds from ASF affected areas. For want of a reliable method of testing, even raw materials for feeds sourced out from affected areas became suspect.

The PCR can help Bohol speed up analyzing samples, taken from sick livestock, and using the PCR, speed up the process of picking on the virus or bacteria which has caused it.

PCR, which analyzes the DNA, is now the most commonly used process in veterinary medicine to detect the presence of infectious organisms, such as viruses, bacteria, and some types of parasites.

DNA-PCR is high standard test that is especially useful for detecting extremely small numbers of infectious organisms, and for detecting infectious organisms such as viruses and some bacteria that are difficult to diagnose by other methods.

It is often more economical than traditional methods of diagnosing infectious disease, and results are usually available in just a few days, according to vcahospitals.com.

In the advent of real-time PCR, Bohol researchers can now can quantify the amount of virus that is present at different sites in the animal, thereby determining the stage of infection. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

BIG HELP IN LIVESTOCK DIAGNOSTICS. Provincial veterinarian Dr. Stella Marie Lapiz and BAI Quarantine Officer Dr. Maria Eleonor Abisado both agree that the PCR pocket laboratory would be a huge help in quick response and disease control in livestock here. (PIABohol)